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Gary Neville and his fellow analysts have strongly criticised Jordan Pickford for failing to stop Norway’s opening goal against England.

The England vs Norway fixture marks the toughest challenge yet for both teams at the 2026 World Cup, with a place in the semi-finals at stake.

The Three Lions came through a gruelling encounter with Mexico at the Azteca on Monday, while Norway stunned five-time World Champions Brazil in their Round of 16 match.

It was a scorching afternoon for both sides, each more accustomed to cooler weather, and the contest remained largely balanced throughout the first half.

The game started slowly as both teams struggled to adapt to the 44°C real-feel heat in Miami, searching for rhythm under challenging conditions.

Norway nearly found an early breakthrough in the seventh minute when Erling Haaland almost slipped through on goal, while Harry Kane sent a free-kick soaring over the crossbar from just outside the box shortly before the half-hour mark.

A shaky moment from England’s defence almost allowed Haaland to capitalise on a loose ball in the six-yard area, but Pickford managed to gather it safely.

Moments later, Norway’s star striker directed a header straight at the England goalkeeper before his side took the lead in the most unexpected manner.

Andreas Schjelderup unleashed a remarkable strike that ricocheted off the post and into the net, although it initially appeared to be a cross aimed at Haaland.

Norway could have doubled their advantage before the interval but were let down by a series of poor choices from Alexander Sorloth during a two-on-one break.

England found their equaliser early in the second half when Jude Bellingham produced a superb finish past the Norwegian keeper in the 46th minute, restoring parity just before the break. Shortly after, Kane came close to giving England the lead with a clever chip, but the effort was disallowed for offside.

Gary Neville was quick to criticise Pickford’s role in conceding the opener, saying: “That should never go in from there.”

“Jordan Pickford won’t want to see that again. It’s a cross, but he simply has to keep it out,” Neville added.

Co-pundit Ian Wright agreed, commenting: “You have to get a hand on that. You can’t pull your hand away. If the ball comes anywhere near you and you’ve got the chance to touch it, you’ve got to make the effort.”

Roy Keane also weighed in, stating that Pickford should feel “disappointed”, especially as he’s now England’s most-capped player at the World Cup, highlighting the significance of the occasion for the goalkeeper.

England will aim to take control in the second half after narrowly avoiding a 2-0 deficit before Bellingham’s crucial goal.